3019 Model Code of Safe Practice Part 19: Fire precautions at petroleum refineries and bulk storage installations

Overview:

EI Model Code of Safe Practice Part 19:  Fire precautions at petroleum refineries and bulk storage installations (a.k.a. EI 19) provides guidance on selecting, implementing and monitoring the continuing performance of installation-specific justified risk reduction measures – from prevention through detection, protection systems to mitigation measures – to reduce the risk from design event fires at installations that process and store crude oil, petroleum, intermediates and refined products.

This technical publication should assist process safety engineers, safety advisors, designers, emergency planners or others with responsibility for fire and explosion hazard management to meet the pertinent goal setting performance requirements. The guidance  provided in this technical publication is internationally applicable provided it is read, interpreted and applied in conjunction with relevant national and local requirements. It can be used as a basis for establishing a consistent fire and explosion hazard management policy for companies with multi-installation operations within a country or across several countries.

This fourth edition of EI 19 supersedes the third edition, published in 2012. Whilst amendments have been made throughout, major changes have been made to:

• Define key principles.
• Include new guidance on the health and environmental damage potential of current firefighting foams and new or expected legislative controls. Specific guidance is given on developing and implementing rational foam transition policies and procedures with reference to high hazard industry-sponsored work (Large Atmospheric Storage Tank Fires (LASTFIRE)) on a “cradle to grave” approach to foam selection, use and disposal.
• Include new firefighting foam technologies including fluorine free foams and compressed air foam systems - with relevant guidance on implementation including latest design standards.
• Enhance guidance on consideration of environmental impacts of firefighting and the need for environmental risk assessment; in particular, new information on approaches when considering secondary and tertiary containment capacity, bund integrity, firewater run off management and containment methods.
• Provide guidance on fire response for ethanol and related polar substance handling/ storage; in particular, pertinent foam types.
• Enhance guidance on fire and explosion scenarios, consequences, and modelling, with additional information on initiating events, scenario development, escalation mechanisms and prevention of escalation.
• Clarify the historical context of fire and explosion modelling acceptability criteria and the importance of checking local guidelines and how to implement risk reduction measures such as facility layout (spacing) with additional guidelines on emergency response considerations for fire responder proximity to incidents and the use of personal protective equipment.
• Enhance guidance on detection systems relating to new technologies or proven use of technologies introduced in the third edition.
• Provide guidance on digital technologies, drones and robotics to aid the prevention and management of incidents.